Your Guide To STDs Over Age 40

If you thought you got all the sex ed you needed in high school, think again. Research shows that as Americans are growing older, rising rates of sexually transmitted diseases are following them right into their golden years.

In fact, STD rates among 50 to 90 year olds have roughly doubled during the last decade in the US and UK, according to a recent British study. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that chlamydia rates alone jumped more than 32% among 45 to 64 year olds between 2007 and 2011, and syphilis rates increased more than 15% during the same period.

“As the Baby Boomer generation moves into retirement, the notion that they’ll carry with them their sexual behaviors, and so will increase their risk for STDs, certainly makes sense,” says H. Hunter Handsfield, MD, professor emeritus at the University of Washington Center for AIDS and STD.

There’s really only one way to guarantee you won’t contract an STD: Quit having sex. (Very funny, we know; just seeing if you were paying attention.) But using protection or sleeping with only one partner who you know to be disease-free are also pretty reliable preventatives, according to Catherine Satterwhite, PhD, of the CDC’s Division of STD Prevention.

Read on to learn about the most common STDs, their associated symptoms, and what to do if you believe you’re infected.

Symptoms: While 80 to 90% of people infected with chlamydia have no symptoms, signs of the disease include a burning sensation while urinating, an inflamed or achy pelvic region, or testicular pain, says Dr. Satterwhite. If you're among the minority who have symptoms, they’ll typically appear 1 to 3 weeks after infection.

How serious is it? Over the age of 40, not very, Dr. Handsfield says. “You’re beyond the age when the most dangerous issues are relevant, which involve damage to a woman’s reproductive tract that can cause infertility.” That said, your risk for HIV and some other diseases goes up when you have chlamydia, and you could also spread the disease to others, he adds.

What to do: If you experience any of the above symptoms, or if you have unprotected sex with a new partner, ask your doctor to test you for the disease, which involves a simple urine screen, Dr. Satterwhite advises. If contracted, chlamydia is easily treatable with antibiotics.

Gonorrhea

Symptoms: Like chlamydia, gonorrhea symptoms are rare, but they may also include a burning sensation while urinating, an inflamed or achy pelvic region, or testicular pain, Dr. Satterwhite says. Anal itching, soreness, or bleeding are also signs of an infection, according to the CDC. Symptoms appear anywhere from 2 days to a month after infection.

How serious is it? “Think of gonorrhea as chlamydia’s twin,” Dr. Handsfield says. “Again, the most serious side effects relate to fertility and child bearing.” However, if not treated, there’s a small chance a gonorrhea infection could spread to the blood or joints—a condition that can eventually be life threatening, Dr. Handsfield adds. Untreated gonorrhea can also boost a person’s risk for HIV, according to the CDC.

What to do: As with chlamydia, Dr. Satterwhite says a simple urine test can identify the disease. She advises women who experience symptoms of the disease, or who have had unprotected sex with a new partner, to consider a screening. “Once identified, gonorrhea is very treatable,” she adds.

Symptoms: Symptoms are uncommon in those infected with human papilloma virus, but they occasionally include genital warts, Dr. Satterwhite says. “Most experts agree that almost every sexually active man and woman will contract HPV at some point, but few know they have it.”

How serious is it? Although research has linked HPV to a greater risk for cervical cancer, and new research hints at possible ties to some oral cancers, those developments are rare, Dr. Handsfield says. “The vast majority of HPV infections are a minor inconvenience and not a serious health threat.” He says younger women who contract the disease are at greater risk for developing associated cancers than those over age 40.

What to do: Women should have a Pap test once every five years to check for cervical cancer, Dr. Satterwhite says. For women and men under the age of 26, the CDC strongly recommends an HPV vaccination, which is a series of three shots. “Because of the increased risk of eventually contracting certain cancers, the CDC especially advises this for boys and girls ages 11 or 12,” Dr. Satterwhite explains. For those already infected, the disease usually clears itself from the body within 2 years, she adds.

Symptoms: If you have syphilis, you'll likely experience a rash on your palms or soles of your feet, as well as a chancre, a painless sore on or near your genitals, anus, or mouth, says Dr. Satterwhite. If untreated, the rash can spread to your torso, and large gray or white lesions may appear in your underarm or groin area. According to the CDC, these symptoms usually take between 10 and 90 days to show up.

How serious is it? Syphilis can cause blindness, mental disability, paralysis, and death if not treated, Dr. Handsfield says. However, it’s not a very common disease, and treatment is simple: antibiotics. “Even if you received an antibiotic for something unrelated, it would likely cure up syphilis if you had it.”

What to do: Visit your doctor or a community health center and request a blood test, Dr. Satterwhite advises.

Herpes (Genital or Oral)

Symptoms: While many people with herpes experience no symptoms, blisters or sores around the genitals, anus, or mouth are the most common, Dr. Satterwhite says. “The first breakout after an infection tends to be the most severe.” Fever, body aches, or swollen glands are also symptoms associated with the disease’s initial outbreak, which typically occurs within two weeks of infection, the CDC says.

How serious is it? While genital herpes is common, especially in women—about one in five women has it—the disease’s impact is “more psychological than physical,” Dr. Handsfield explains. Herpes has been linked to an increased risk for premature births or miscarriages among pregnant women, and the presence of sores ups your chances of contracting HIV. But otherwise, the presence of painful sores is really the only downside, Dr. Handsfield adds.

What to do: There is no cure for herpes yet, but oral treatments will reduce the likelihood of an outbreak and limit your ability to pass the disease to others, says Dr. Satterwhite. Doctors can identify the disease through a blood test or by culturing a lesion.

Trichomoniasis

Symptoms: They’re rare, but symptoms of trichomoniasis among women can include itching, burning, redness, or soreness of the genitals, Dr. Satterwhite says. Also, both men and women could observe white, yellow, or greenish discharge from the penis or vagina, according to the CDC. These symptoms often appear between 5 and 28 days after infection, but could also show themselves months later.

How serious is it? “It’s not terribly serious, but it is inconvenient,” Dr. Handsfield says. He says birth complications among pregnant women are one associated risk, and genital irritation could increase your chances of contracting HIV. But otherwise, the disease isn’t very life-altering.

What to do: A simple urine or blood test will identify the disease if you believe you might be infected, Dr. Satterwhite explains. The CDC says that if you have the disease, an oral antibiotic will wipe it out in a matter of weeks.

HIV

Symptoms: Unlike most STDs, symptoms of HIV/AIDS often remain dormant for years, says Dr. Handsfield. Those infected may develop a brief but severe fever or flu within a few weeks of contracting the disease. Later, after a long period of inactivity, symptoms such as fatigue, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, fever, chills, night sweats, or a drop in muscle and body weight can develop. These are signs of the disease, according to the CDC.

How serious is it? Because HIV attacks and weakens your body’s immune system, it can evolve into many debilitating conditions and can be life-threatening, Dr. Handsfield says.

What to do: Your doctor can administer a blood test to identify the disease, although HIV may not show up until a year or more after contraction, according to the CDC. While there’s no cure for HIV, treatments are very effective and, when combined with lifestyle changes that improve overall health, people with HIV can live for decades without severe health declines, says Dr. Handsfield.

Symptoms: This bacterial imbalance in a woman’s vagina is sometimes accompanied by a strange odor or vaginal discharge, pain in the groin region, or itching and burning of the genitals, although many women experience no symptoms, the CDC says.

How serious is it? It can cause reproductive issues like a greater risk for preterm delivery, but it’s really not much more than an inconvenience for older women, Dr. Handsfield explains. He says it’s not yet certain whether bacterial vaginosis really is an STD, although there’s some evidence tying the disease to lesbian sexual activities like the sharing of vaginal fluids.

What to do: Doctors can identify the condition through lab tests of your vaginal fluid. The infection is easily treatable with antibiotics, Dr. Satterwhite says.

Symptoms: Many women experience no symptoms with pelvic inflammatory disease, Dr. Handsfield says. Those who do report fever, foul-smelling vaginal discharge, pain during sexual intercourse or urination, irregular menstrual bleeding, or lower abdominal pain, according to the CDC.

How serious is it? If not treated promptly, PID can cause major damage to a woman’s reproductive organs. This can lead to infertility or an increased risk for ectopic pregnancies, Dr. Handsfield says.

What to do: There’s no test for PID, and it’s difficult for your doctor to diagnose the disease because symptoms are often mild or non-existent, Dr. Handsfield says. Most cases of PID occur as a result of chlamydia or gonorrhea infections, so your doctor may test your urine for those diseases in order to assess your PID risk, Dr. Satterwhite says. Symptoms of either chlamydia or gonorrhea could indicate impending PID, the CDC says.

Hepatitis

Symptoms: Although hepatitis types A and C can theoretically be spread through sexual contact, hepatitis B is considered a much more common STD. Essentially a disease of the liver, symptoms of hepatitis can include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, dark urine, abdominal pain, or joint pain, according to the CDC. Symptoms typically appear 90 days after infection, but can hold off for up to six months, Dr. Handsfield says.

How serious is it? In the US, hepatitis B is pretty rare and becoming rarer all the time, Dr. Handsfield says. For those who contract it, the infection often disappears within six months. The worst-case scenario—although uncommon if you’re not infected before age 30—is long-term liver disease, which can be life-threatening, the CDC says.

What to do: A simple blood test will tell your doctor if you’re infected. If that’s the case, hepatitis B is usually treated with rest and plenty of fluids. A hepatitis B vaccination is also available, and the CDC recommends it for any sexually active adults who have multiple partners.

Markham HeidMarkham Heid is an experienced health reporter and writer, has contributed to outlets like TIME, Men’s Health, and Everyday Health, and has received reporting awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Maryland, Delaware, and D.C.

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